The ever-more comprehensive Sony Classical Masters series is pleased to announce ten new releases. Ranging from symphony cycles to solo piano music, these budget-priced box sets celebrate some of the leading musicians of recent times.
The Orchestre national d’Île-de-France amassed an impressive discography of late 19th-century French music under former music director Jacques Mercier, and this collection of ten CDs brings together many little-known or undervalued works. Several discs of sacred vocal music include compositions by the likes of Gounod and Saint-Saëns (including his Requiem) and vocal soloists include Nathalie Dessay, Françoise Pollet, Véronique Gens and François Le Roux. Other discs explore the music of Roussel, Schmitt (his Sallambô suites, given a “splendid performance” – Gramophone) and Bruneau, and Bizet’s rarity Djamileh is performed complete. Rounding out the collection is Debussy’s Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien.
Bizet: Agnus Dei Bizet: Djamileh Bizet: Te Ergo Bruneau: Lazare Bruneau: Requiem Debussy: Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien Fauré: En Priere Franck, C: Encore un jour qui fuit (from Rebecca) Franck, C: Panis Angelicus Gounod: Ave Maria Gounod: Beati qui lavant (from Mors et Vita) Gounod: Gallia Gounod: La pentecote (O Divine Redeemer) Gounod: Repentir (O Divine Redeemer) Massenet: La Vierge: L’extase de la Vierge Massenet: O bien aimée (from La Navarraise) Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 - Suite No. 1 Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 - Suite No. 2 Roussel: Deux Mélodies Op. 19 Roussel: Deux Mélodies Op. 20 Roussel: Deux Poèmes Chinois Op. 35 Roussel: Le Marchand de sable qui passe, Op. 13 Roussel: Odes Anacreontiques Op. 31 Roussel: Padmâvatî: Ballet Suites Roussel: Petite Suite Op. 39 Roussel: Suite in F major, Op. 33 Saint-Saëns: Chanson de grand-père, Op. 53 No. 1 Saint-Saëns: Coeli enarrant, Op. 42 (Psaume XVIII) Saint-Saëns: Le Déluge, Op. 45 Saint-Saëns: Le Pas d'armes du Roi Jean (Hugo) Saint-Saëns: Requiem, Op. 54 Saint-Saëns: Reverie (Hugo) Schmitt, F: Salammbô
